Don't Lose Heart - Updated 7/31/2015

I just reread this post from a year ago and thought it might encourage someone today.  I am not feeling this discouraged today as I must have felt a year ago. Funny, I don't even remember now who or what was said that got me so upset...so God surely took care of it.  If you are feeling alone, frustrated, angry, depressed or devalued, take a moment to STOP, LOOK around you at what God may be really doing, and LISTEN to HIS Words...not the words of the world.  Be encouraged in your faith and be strengthened through Christ.
Have a blessed day my friends!

Original Post 7/25/2014:

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart."  

II Corinthians 4:1

Have you ever felt like giving up, throwing in the towel, walking away, disappearing for awhile?  I have.  I almost did it this week.  I got discouraged by some negative comments and attitudes toward me personally and toward my faith. Not just from one place or person, but from more than one in one day and it caused me to stop dead in my tracks and reevaluate myself, my motives, my methods, and my purpose here. Not necessarily here, in this spot on this blog site, but in other places of my life...social media, professional and personal relationships, and life in general.  I was so disheartened that I threatened to remove myself from social media first of all, and then I considered withdrawing from some other aspects of my current life as well.  Frankly, I just didn't feel like fighting anymore. I felt misunderstood and undervalued.  I wanted to quit.

Please don't misunderstand me now, I was not suicidal or depressed or desperate. I was plain frustrated, tired and somewhat angry.  Okay, probably a lot angry. But mostly tired and emotionally worn out.  That's when anger and frustration usually attack...when we are overtired, spent emotionally, and feeling like no one really cares anyway.  Dangerous place to be.

So I made a statement on Facebook:

"I strongly debated shutting down my Facebook page last night and just walking away from all negative people and comments. I am still not totally convinced that I should stay here. But God has reminded me that I am to be "the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house." Matthew 5:14-15. 

Verse 16 goes on to say: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  

Therefore, even though I do not boast that I have any good works, but the things that I do and the words that I say I pray will be a light in the dark places of this earth. I pray that my life will be a shining light and not a millstone of darkness. I pray that God will continue to shine through the places of my heart that I feel led to share with you. If I tend to go astray or wander into places where I shouldn't be, I pray that God will gently lead me back to where He wants me to be. I pray that this place will be an instrument of peace and love and glory to God. If it becomes anything else, I do have the right to remove comments that I think are more harmful or hurtful than positive. I can and will censor comments that are addressed to me or tagged with my name that I believe are in direct conflict with my beliefs and what I stand for. If that offends anyone, you certainly have my permission to "unfriend" me. Thank you dear friends, for standing up for the truth with me. May God bless your day with His grace and love."

Within minutes comments of encouragement, affirmation, love and comfort came pouring in. I was so overwhelmed by this response that I realized that God must have planned this so that I would see that my life here and there were valuable to others as well as to God.

When I woke up this morning I saw that even more people had responded during the night, and again I was so touched and amazed, this is what I said,

"I woke up this morning expecting this post/messages to be over...and yet here are more that came during the night! I am so overwhelmed with this outpouring of love and support I just can't begin to fathom or believe it! This has been quite a humbling experience for me. I thought I could just slink away and no one would notice or even care...but this has been a good lesson for me. And it should be for others too...Our lives matter to others. We are here for a purpose. Whether it be on facebook, or in our "real life" with our families, friends and co-workers, what we do really matters to others. How we live makes an impact that we do not even realize. I am amazed at how far-reaching that impact is. I hope we will all think about this in our own lives today. The little pebbles we toss carelessly into the water have a much larger rippling effect throughout our world. This has been quite an eye-opener to me. Thank you everyone for your love and support. You are the greatest!!!!"

So today I read the following in II Corinthians 4:1  "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart."...and then on in verses 5-7:

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.  

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."

So what have we learned from this lesson?

1. Don't listen to voices of negativity and discouragement.
2. Don't believe everything you hear from others is a direct insult to you.
3. Especially don't allow yourself to become so over-tired, spent emotionally, or so weary that you can't think straight and begin to take other's pent up frustrations as being an attack on you personally.
4. We all have bad days. Be kind to yourself and to others who may also be in similar levels of frustration.
5. DO recognize that you are precious in the sight of God, and that your life has extreme value and purpose. God paid a huge price for your ransom...His only begotten Son. He loves you that much.
6. Do recognize that others are depending on you to shine brightly in the dark places of their lives. Somebody out there needs the light you have. Don't give up.
7. Don't give in to discouragement, despair, and despondency. Those are tools of the enemy, not of Christ.

I like what the rest of II Corinthians 4:8-10 has to say to us:

"We are hard pressed on every side,

yet not crushed;

We are perplexed,

but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken;

Struck down, 

but NOT destroyed...

Always carrying about in the body 

the dying of the Lord Jesus, 

that the LIFE of Jesus also

may be manifested in our body..."

and further down in verses 17-18:

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 

is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

while we do not look at the things which are seen,

but at the things which are NOT seen. 

For the things which are seen are temporary,

but the things which are NOT seen are eternal."

This is some heavy and wonderful stuff to recognize in the daily workings of our lives. There is so much more going on here than meets the eye. God is at work in our midst, even when we are feeling down and discouraged. He uses every circumstance of our lives to bring us and those around us into a closer walk and fellowship with Him. He proved that to me in the last 48 hours.  He's still at work in our midst. I am expecting some marvelous and eternal blessings/results from this momentary jog in my journey.  Not just in my heart and life...but in some others as well. One thing I know, we are never alone...and God is much closer than we think.

My usual routine on the mornings that I don't have to rush out the door to work is to go to the garden to pray and meditate and enjoy God's handiwork.  This morning, after working through the humbling realities of my position here on earth...I sat down in the Memorial Garden arbor and this is the first thing I saw:

This rosebush was a gift to us for our memorial garden in memory of our son Matthew, and someone made the comment to me after seeing this picture posted on Facebook that it "looked like someone was handing (me) this rose...perhaps it was Matthew."  That thought had not occurred to me until she mentioned it, but somehow that made sense to me. I'll accept that offering as a gift from my sweet son today. Today is the two month anniversary of his passing. So I will be thankful for this reminder of him, regardless of how it happened to appear. It gave me comfort and joy in my heart.

The rest of these pictures are from my walk about the yard and our neighborhood this morning, which was a gift from God, "who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ..." (II Cor. 4:6 again)

What a beautiful, calming, peaceful way to start my day. Thank you Lord!!!  I will NOT lose heart!